The lack of women in leadership may have begun with the perception that they are ineffective leaders, but that’s not the case today. Although men were once thought to possess the qualities of great leaders, businesses now recognize the valuable traits By Thuy Sindell and Stacy Shamberger Beyond Gender: Changing the Leadership Conversation VOLUME 39 | ISSUE 3 | SUMMER 2016 33 women bring to leadership positions. Gallup’s 2015 State Of The American Manager Report found both male and female employees with women leaders reported higher engagement than those working for male bosses. In fact, female bosses outscored males in 11 of 12 engagement categories, including being supportive in areas like employee progress and development. Employees also trust female leaders more than male leaders, according to research conducted in 2014 by Pew. In the survey, 31 percent of people considered women in top positions in business to be more honest and ethical than men, as opposed to just 3 percent who said the opposite. And all these positive leadership qualities have a significant impact on the business. A 2015 study published by MCSI ESG Research found that companies with three or more women on the board of directors deliver a 36 percent higher return on equity. Recognizing the valuable traits of women leaders as more females ascended the ranks, employers trained men in leadership to adopt these qualities. They pushed men to be more communicative and caring leaders. They emphasized the importance of collaboration and positive reinforcement. While this training helped men develop into better leaders, it did nothing for women. Women were never encouraged and trained to adopt the effective leadership traits of men. Women were not pushed to become confident, to take risks, and to be decisive, which has led to the effectiveness vs. likeability problem.